The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-05-19
A SWAMP ANGEL.
80 = 9 s5=t: - l.
ae was Aea.ittea-A Carries. Cri.iaal Prssses.

as Was Aea.itted-A Carries. Crintaal Prssees.
ton.
The st. Louis Globe.D Democrat de.
scribes q curious trial which took
place III the circuit court at Murphys.
boro, H., recently:
At the close of the court tho sheriff
announced that a prisoner was Ian.
gushing in jail charged with stealing
3 skiff on the Mississippi. He de
scribed the prisoner in terms usually
applied to half.civilized bordersmen
or to wild men of the side-show, and
sugge sted a slight case OF non com.
pos tnentis:
Bring the prisoner into COURT y
commanded the Judge, amid general
laughter.
The prisoner stalked down the aisle.
All eyes :tiriied on him, and every.
body lalghed: He was d ii0ndescribt
caricattlre Of .nattire-a perfect swami
angel-over six feet tall; ga,int vlsae.
ed, sall0qW-complexioned, long, unev.
EN-, black whiskers, with coarse, black,
1nkept; hair; falling .tlncombed over
his shoulders and forehead; ttndei
which were d pair 81 dark; keen; rest:
less eyes: He wor5 n c]ose.fittinq
jumper, pair of overalls rolled UP
to the knees, showing the black pants
beneath, which terminated four inches
aboXe.. rough, boat-like brogans,
showing his ankles, innocent of sc cks
Like q true child of nature he Walked
into the prisoners box with d non
chalant air Of Innocence, and d don't
care look that seemed to say; "Well,
I'm ready for the sacrifice"
The judge smiled, leaned forward
from his high eminence and said
sharply:
"'You are the man who stole the
boat, are your =
Swamp Angel-WaI, yes; but thar's
a pint i'll the case, jedge. They charg
ed me with stealin' it in the morning
but didn't steal it till after dark.
Great laughter. don't want to bt
tried till they get Peter Cooper This
partner). He is a worser man ner
am. He steals wimmen, girls, fish
hooks and everything. Roars O.
laughter, joined in by the court.
Pete wanted to keep the boat, but
intended to return it arter l took my
things down the river.
The court-Then we must defer tia
till the August term.
S. A.-No, jedge, l don't want to liz
in jail till August. Iwant ter be triec
! now.
The court-Have you an attorne,
to defend you?
S. A.-No, and don't want any.
haln't got no money but q few Ger
! man coins for keepsakes. They
! wouldn't hire good lawyer, and
wouldn't have no poor one. He't
only make it worse for me.
The court appointed three prom
inent lawyers to defend him. Tn,
states attorney assumed that all wal
ready for trial and called witnesses
when the Swamp Angels attorney
whispered something to him and hi
sprang up and demanded an openin.
statement. The nonplussed states
attorney complied, after which the de
PENDANT stated his side OF the case.
With awkward gestures and un
couth language he admitted stealth.
the boat, but blamed Peter Coope1
| for it.
The people clearly established thu
stealing Of the boat by three gooc
witnesses. The S. A: defendant the1
took the stand in his own behalf, whili
his three prominent lawyers sat back
giving him q pointer now and then
and enjoying the laughable farce, al
did the entire court and audience, I,
was the missing link before the hizhes
attainment OF civilization. To tn,
jury he owned stealing the boat, bu
said it was leaky and not worth much
it wasn't worth over S.. He said h
would pay the boys $3.50 a day TO-
the time they lost in going after him
! He agreed to give the jary hi
| blankets and pistol and knife, bu,
"he'd he burned if he'd give UP hi
good old rife," of which he spoke yer,
atfectionately: He'd 60 to the peni
tertiary for fifteen years first.
He commenced telling of log-rollings
and whisky: His counsel Whispered
that SOME OF the jury were temporal,
men. He then related how one da,
on the island he had determined tt
quit drinking, and he had never dranl
a drop of liquor since. He was tenn
perance. His counsel whispered thai
be must establish good reput atior
for truth and veracity, whereupon Ii,
vehemently declared that his char
acter was unquestioned ON the islanG
where he lived. This brought down
the house with laughter.
When the jury took the case he in
sisted on retiring with them to explain
| the situation, but this the court heart
lessly denied.
After an hour of wrestling with tn.
case, the jury, to the CONSERVATION o
the court and audience, and the dis
gust OF the prosecution brought in &
verdict of not guilty. The S. A. was
happy. After adjournment, while tn
judge and states attorney were con
versing, he approached them ant
thanked them. He said to the attor
ney: "You fought pretty hard agin M
but suppose it was your duty. But
you, jedge," he continued, "acted tn,
man all the way through. ! hain't
got no money, but as soon rs gel
back to the island I'll send you up {
whole bar'l of fish, and you kin divid.
them up just as you please"
| The last seen OF him he was trudg
ing out of town with his blanket, pis
tol, knife, rifle and AK, measuring 6
bee line southwestward, looking Xix,
Fenimore Cooper's pioneer, seekip.
his solitary island home.
Our Big Men Abroad.